Donnell Lake water level
▲ 2 points from 38% a year ago
Source: waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-11292600, accessed October 1, 2026. Updated every 6 hours.
Donnell Lake is at 40.9% of full pool (4821.53 ft) as of September 29, 2026. Donnell Lake was last full on July 8, 2026 (95.1% of normal storage). Donnell Lake is near Dardanelle, California. It has restrooms and picnic area, managed by Tri-Dam Project / USDA Forest Service - Stanislaus National Forest.
Donnell Lake level history
This site counts a reservoir as full on a day its storage is at or above 95% of the dam's normal storage (National Inventory of Dams). Many reservoirs rarely reach 100%, even in wet years, because operators release water for irrigation, power or flood control before they fill, so this site treats 95% as full. Highs and lows are daily readings in the published data, not official records. Source: USGS daily data.
Storage, % of full pool, since 1957
Donnell Lake is falling: 41.3% full, down 3.8 percentage points since September 27, 2026.
On this same date last year (September 28, 2025), Donnell Lake was 38% full, 3.3 percentage points lower than today's 41.3%.
Weekly averages of the source's daily readings; older years may be monthly or sparser where that is all the source published. Download the charted data (JSON).
Donnell Lake map
Donnell Lake is at 38.3293, -119.9613. Open in OpenStreetMap.
The dam
- Flood control
- Hydropower
Sources: nid.sec.usace.army.mil, accessed September 29, 2026
Visiting Donnells Reservoir
- Restrooms
- Picnic area
No developed camping, toilets, or potable water at the reservoir shoreline. Donnells Overlook on Highway 108 (~15 miles east of Strawberry) has parking, chemical toilets, accessible paved trails, interpretive signs, and an overlook platform - no camping or potable water at the overlook.
Good to know:
- Vehicle access is a 9-mile dirt Forest Service road from Beardsley Road when open. Best public view is from Donnells Overlook rather than the dam site.
On the water
No campgrounds, boat ramps, or swim spots linked to Donnell Lake yet.
Common questions
- Donnell Lake is at 40.9% of full pool (4821.53 ft) as of September 29, 2026.
- Donnell Lake was last full on July 8, 2026, when it held 95.1% of its normal storage. This site counts a reservoir as full on a day its storage is at or above 95% of the dam's normal storage (National Inventory of Dams). Many reservoirs rarely reach 100%, even in wet years, because operators release water for irrigation, power or flood control before they fill, so this site treats 95% as full. Based on USGS daily data since October 1, 1957.
- In USGS daily data since October 1, 1957, Donnell Lake's highest storage was 100.5% of normal storage on June 1, 1959. Its lowest after it first filled (October 1, 1957) was 3.4% of normal storage on April 15, 1983. These are the highest and lowest daily readings in the published data, not official records.
- Donnell Lake is near Dardanelle, California (38.3293, -119.9613).
- Utility operates the dam at Donnell Lake.
- Donnell Lake's dam is used for Flood control, Hydropower.
- Forest Service access road subject to closure November 1 to April 15.